Seattle – Seattle District flood team members are preparing to make revetment repairs at La Push on the Washington coast and have distributed sandbags to the City of Aberdeen and Hoh Tribe in anticipation of a significant coastal storm Saturday.

The Rialto revetment in La Push, Washington, has a 300-foot-long damaged section. The revetment along this stretch completely failed and only the underlying gravel berm remains. The structure’s crest in the damaged area is between four and six feet lower than the design elevation and adjacent structure elevation. Given the revetment’s condition, if no action is taken a breach in the damaged area is highly likely.

The Corps sent an advance measures team to La Push October 12 to assess a National Park Service road that will to be used to carry equipment and material to the Rialto revetment. The road is currently damaged, and a Corps team will begin work October 14 in La Push by widening the road to allow trucks to haul material to the revetment for the needed repairs.

A breach of the revetment would expose the Quileute reservation riverward shoreline, Coast Guard Station, marina and training wall to direct wave action. The training wall is not designed to protect the marina from wave action and would likely be destroyed if exposed to ocean waves and debris. This is the only Safe Harbor for 60 miles along the Pacific Ocean. For these reasons the Corps will begin emergency repairs to the revetment as soon as truck access to the site is established.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers maintains the federally constructed revetment at La Push and anticipates emergency repairs made in the next couple of weeks will underpin permanent repairs that will be needed after storm season.

Public Law 84-99 enables the Corps to assist state and local authorities in flood fight activities and cost share in the repair of flood protection structures. The purpose is to prevent loss of life and minimize property damage associated with severe weather.

Private citizens seeking sandbags should contact their local government offices.

The National Weather Service issues flood watches and warnings and should be consulted for that information.